Structural boards having tongue and groove elements (T&G boards) are frequently used in the construction industry to construct flooring assemblies. T&G boards are typically 4 feet wide and 8 feet long and are constructed from plywood, particle board, strand board, or other types of engineered wood products. Conventionally, each T&G board features a tongue element protruding from one of the 8 foot-long sides and a groove element extending into the other 8 foot-long side. These elements allow multiple T&G boards to be interconnected for construction of a flooring system.
T&G boards are well-suited for installation on a joist framing assembly to form a structural sub-floor. T&G boards serve especially well as sub-flooring because of their inter-locking edges which reduce vertical offset between adjacent boards resulting in a smoother floor. In addition, the interconnected edges prevent relative movement between adjacent edges as persons walk on the floor, thereby reducing squeaking and other undesirable effects. Typically, tile, carpet, or hardwood flooring is installed over the structural sub-floor to provide a finished floor surface.
Although T&G boards are very useful in flooring applications, they are subject to damage if water accumulates on the sub-floor surface during construction of the building. Rain or snow before completion often causes the accumulation of pools of water on the assembled sub-floor. As a result, the T&G boards may buckle, swell, absorb a greater amount of water, or otherwise incur damage.
In response to this problem, the wood products and construction industries have experimented with a number of solutions. Some solutions involve water-resistant coatings, chemical additives, or stabilizing agents designed for reducing water absorption. Other solutions involve drainage systems, which encourage water to drain off the sub-floor surface before the damage is caused. Although many of these solutions reduce water damage to T&G boards, the costs of implementation are often prohibitive. In addition, despite implementation of these solutions, water often does not drain fast enough and the T&G boards may still swell or buckle. In some situations, sawdust or other types of construction debris may inhibit drainage of water. Accordingly, there is a need in the industry to develop improved floor panels and flooring drainage systems that are effective to quickly drain water in a construction while at the same time being economical to produce. Ideally, such floor panels and flooring drainage systems will be effective to reduce the total amount of water absorbed in a floor panel when compared with current commercially available solutions.